Chapter 581 Russian-Dutch Combined Fleet

At the same time that China and the German Empire were reaching cooperation agreements for the future of the country, the dispute between Russia and the Netherlands was also coming to an end.wx.Everyone had common interests, and the Russians would not have had to fight the battle without the Dutch, and if the Dutch had not had the courage of the Russian navy, it was only a matter of time before the colony of Southeast Asia was lost.

The first understanding reached between the two sides was on logistics. The Dutch said that they could provide all logistical services, including food, fuel, and various dock support facilities, for the stationing of the Russian fleet in the Far East, but the Russians had to pay for it, and food and fuel were naturally indispensable, and the construction and operation of the dockyard could be reduced as appropriate because of the participation of the Russians. The Dutch really don't have enough money to build a comprehensive base for one of the world's top five fleets in the Far East, so they have to rely on the Russians for this.

As for the procurement of ammunition and spare parts, it is the Russian fleet that is responsible for the procurement of its own spare parts...... It was also possible to transport them by their own transports, but the Dutch had to provide all sorts of conveniences for these transports. For example, free berths or something. At the same time, the Russians will help the Dutch to build the ports of Batavia and other places into real military ports in order to cope with the offensive ......... of the Beiyang Fleet.

The real part of the competition between the two sides is the mission and command structure of the combined fleet, and in the eyes of the Russians, if the Russian-Dutch combined fleet is compared to a company, the Russians are the majority shareholder with more than 80% of the shares. Then the affairs of this company naturally have to be decided by themselves. The Dutch fleet had to submit unconditionally to the command of the Russian fleet.

But the Dutch don't think so, the Netherlands came together with the Russians in order to keep a rich colony, and if the Russians can't provide protection for this overseas possessions, then the Netherlands will join forces with the Russians? It was just a split in two, and there was another reason why the Netherlands didn't make it clear. That is, the Netherlands was afraid that the Russians would use the already fragile Dutch Navy as a gunman!

The Dutch Navy, although weak, hinted that after all there were two good fast battleships and some auxiliary warships. In order to save such a fleet, the Dutch took out all their savings for many years, not to say that it was over for the sake of a sound! The fast ships in the Russian fleet were not as advanced as the Dutch, so it was clear that the Russians had good reasons to let the Dutch fleet take the lead. And the Dutch's belongings are not enough in the eyes of the Chinese Navy. Maybe at some point the Russians will be used as consumables!. …。

So the Dutch insisted on retaining a certain autonomy, and in addition to the fact that the Dutch fleet had to participate in the decisive battle, the Dutch fleet had the right to decide its own actions, which was unbearable for the Russians. The strength of the fast fleet of the Russian Navy itself is weaker than that of the fast fleet of the Chinese Navy, which is planned. A simple 2 6-gun dreadnought battleships, 2 armored cruisers with 8 10-inch guns, and 2 medium armored cruisers with 6 10-inch guns had no advantage at all over the 4 dreadnoughts in the North Ocean and the possible accompanying cruisers.

"Your country has two seven-provincial fast battleships in your hands, and at the same time there are two 14,000-ton second-class battleships equipped with 8 10-inch guns, which is close to our country's fast fleet, but it is not enough to resist the Chinese navy, so dividing troops is a taboo in naval warfare." Makanov strongly disagreed.

"We must ensure the smooth flow of sea lines of communication, while your fleet is preparing in the port, we need to ensure the safety of coastal ports and transportation lines at sea, the two fleets should take turns to maintain a presence at sea, as for the possible dispatch of the Huaxia fleet, we can completely maintain contact with it, and then concentrate forces to defeat the opponent when necessary." The fundamental reason why the Dutch dared to act alone was that the power system on the Dutch battleships was relatively advanced, in addition to being equipped with kerosene mixed boilers, there were also original British steam turbines, plus the advantage of fuel reserves, the Dutch could completely evacuate under unfavorable circumstances. …………。

The idea of the Netherlands is very simple, that is, before the decisive battle, as far as possible not to fight with the Chinese fleet, in addition to the aspect of protecting ships, the lack of infrastructure is also a very important reason, both the Dutch and the Russians are clear, even if it takes several years to build the various seaports of the Dutch East Indies, it is still unable to meet the maintenance of such a large fleet, you know, the entire Russian-Dutch combined fleet has 8 battleships, 4 fast battleships, 6 various cruises, and the smallest tonnage is more than 14,000 tons! Where did the Netherlands build so many dry docks and canals?

It is foreseeable that as the war progresses, a large number of warships need to be repaired, and when the time comes, it is a question whether the Dutch can use their own docks to repair the warships, after all, it is not only in the East that dominates or something, but also in the West! And all the more so, it is the most aggressive country in Europe that cooperates with the Netherlands!

In the face of the Dutch fleet's resolute attitude of not handing over command, the Russians had no choice...... So after some bargaining, the Russians suggested a compromise solution, that is, to divide their respective patrol areas, after the discovery of the Chinese naval fleet, the Russian and Dutch fleets have the right to choose to engage or track, but after the supreme commanders of both sides agreed, all the front fleets must act together! The supreme command will be held by a Russian general and a Dutch general, and it will only take effect if both ......... agree.

And the Dutch also agreed, their fleet has considerable autonomy, and when the Chinese fleet is really overwhelmed, both the Dutch and the Russians will do their best to resist, because the Russians have no way to retreat, the defeat of the fleet is that the Russians have no way to go to the Far East, and the Dutch have no way to retreat, behind them is Batavia, but before the decisive battle, the Dutch believe that with the high speed and supply advantages of their fleet, the 4 capital ships of the Netherlands will definitely not become meaningless cannon fodder!

If you can hit the Chinese fleet, you can fight. The basic idea of the Dutch fleet is to run as long as it can, and to look for opportunities to encircle and annihilate the Huaxia fleet with the Russian navy, and after obtaining a certain right of free movement, the Dutch navy and the Russian navy have made a plan for the sea areas that both sides are responsible for.

The islands of Java and Sumatra and the nearby islands are the focus of defense, on the one hand, because the main cities and seaports of the Netherlands are concentrated on the island of Java, which is the most elite part of the entire colony and the main base of the Russian-Dutch combined fleet, so it must be protected, in the eyes of the Russians and the Dutch, the most likely choice for China is to occupy Belitung Island, and then use it as a base to launch an attack on Java Island, so this will be the defensive core of the Russian-Dutch combined fleet! And Makanov insisted that both sides concentrate their most elite forces here! …。

Formations of fast battleships were responsible for reconnaissance and avant-garde. And wait for the opportunity to consume the opponent's strength, and if the situation allows, pull the family to take the mouth of the decisive battle! And the Dutch fleet, as the landlord, also agreed to deploy the elite here, after all, one step back is Batavia! Although fearing the advance of the Chinese navy, the Netherlands still deployed all four capital ships in the western part of the Java Sea, and the Russian fleet agreed to deploy no less than four fast battleships and cruisers to cooperate with the Dutch fleet. And the entire East Java Sea is handed over to two new cruisers and some old ships to be in charge of monitoring, and by the way, to deal with possible Chinese attack ships!

Now that the task has been assigned, it is time to assess the possible actions and tactics of the Chinese Navy, in Makanov's eyes, the Russian and Dutch sides have an advantage in terms of the speed of construction work of the entire fleet, first of all, the Russian Navy itself has a strong shipbuilding capacity, and now the Russian Navy shipyard has 5 capital ships under construction at the same time, the shipyard on the Dutch side is also building 1 armored cruiser, and the Americans are undertaking the construction of 2 battleships and 1 fast battleship, The French also undertook the construction of these 3 capital ships, and 12 of the 18 capital ships on the Russian and Dutch sides were built at the same time! …………。

On the other hand, in terms of China, although Britain, Italy and the German Empire are all helping to build, because Britain needs to take care of its own construction plan at the same time, Italy's own industrial level is not as good as that of the United States and France, and the fast battleships built by Germany for China started relatively late, and the amount of work is huge, so the Russian Navy will get the battleship earlier than the Chinese Navy!

And the two fast battleships built by the Huaxia Navy itself, although it is said that one of them started construction relatively early, in the eyes of the Russians...... Although the Republic of China has built 10,000-ton warships, the step of jumping directly to the 20,000-ton level is indeed a bit bigger. Therefore, in the eyes of the Russians, it is still a question mark whether these two self-built fast battleships can be completed before 1905. That is, the capital ships of the Russian and Dutch sides will be in place as soon as possible!

After two desperate battles, Russia lost not only warships, but also a number of professional naval officers and sailors, and this loss was even more painful for the Russians than the loss of ordnance. Cultivating a qualified naval officer is not something that can be completed in a few years, and taking into account the tragic cultural level of the Russians and the best government system, Makanov came to the conclusion that even if the new warships are in place, the Russian Navy may not be able to find enough personnel to operate these warships! Therefore, in the world where combat effectiveness is actually formed, China may still have an advantage! …。

"We need to send part of the fleet to the Far East in advance. In order to offset the superiority of the Chinese Navy, and at the same time the army must maintain restraint and not launch an offensive against the Chinese Army in advance, our country will take the lead in completing the construction of the fast fleet, and then go to Batavia in advance under the command of General Essen, in case of a preemptive strike by the Chinese Navy, we hope that the starting point of the war is that the main fleet led by me will arrive in the Dutch East Indies, and then officially start the war after several months of correction. Makanov said this at the Russian-Dutch war conference.

When I got up in the morning and looked at the subscription, I was shocked, and the recommended subscription was actually 500-! Anyway, now the general subscription on the side is about 700, and my heart is suddenly cold-! (